Expect the Eastlake Titans to command a very high seed in the upcoming San Diego Section playoffs.
The Titans extended their current winning streak to 13 games after blasting visiting Hilltop, 14-0, on Monday and tacking on a 7-3 return engagement win on Wednesday to finish regular season play 27-3.
It’s familiar territory for Eastlake, which has advanced to the last two CIF division championship games.
“This is one of the best teams we’d had at Eastlake High School in the 19 years that I have been involved with the team,” explained Titan head coach Dave Gallegos, whose team wrapped up a perfect 10-0 record in league play this season. “We’ve accomplished all our goals to this point. Now the idea is to win out or it will be a disappointing year.”
Eastlake batted through six Hilltop pitchers on Monday. Micah Pietila-Wiggs went three-for-four with two runs scored and one RBI while Bryan Reyes went three-for-three with three runs scored and three RBI.
The Titans used three pitchers in securing the runaway win: Mason Thompson, Juan Sanchez and Javier Nunez. Thompson pitched four innings to get the victory.
Brian Leonhardt (9-0) pitched the first four innings in Wednesday’s game to earn the win with relief help from Ricky Tibbett and Casey Schmitt.
The wins have kept coming.
The Titans shaded Montgomery, 5-3, on May 10 as Grant Holman picked up his eighth win of the season with six innings of work. Schmitt, last year’s Mesa League Player of the Year, pitched one inning to earn his seventh save of the season.
The Titans scored early in Monday’s game, holding a 5-2 lead after four innings before extending it with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning. Holman drove in one run on a sacrifice fly while Leonhardt tripled in another run.
The Lancers (2-8 in league, 11-16 overall) scored one run in the bottom of the fifth inning on an illegal pitch (timed had been called but the Eastlake pitcher continued his motion and threw to the plate).
The Titans are strong in pretty much all areas — hitting, pitching and defense. There are also the intangibles to consider.
“This team has great chemistry,” noted Gallegos, who served as an assistant coach on Eastlake’s 1999 and 2002 San Diego Section championship teams. “The hard work and dedication of the kids is phenomenal.”
The Titans enter the playoffs three wins short of setting a new school record. Last year’s team finished with 29 wins to eclipse the previous school record by one win.
Three more wins this season will set a new record and make history for this team.
But nothing is set in stone. The playoffs are called a second season for a good reason.
“Good pitching shuts down good hitting,” Gallegos cautioned. “We’ll be seeing good pitching in the playoffs and we have to respond with good pitching on our part to shut down good hitting from our opponents. We’ll be seeing a lot of Division I guys (college recruits).”
